In a letter to the Globe and Mail, Dr Caillin Langmann attacks my argument that firearms are fuelling Canada’s mental health crisis when it comes to suicide. In that letter on the 19 April, Dr Langmann displays his credentials as an emergency physician. Readers of this blog might also like to know the good doctor maintains there is no link between gun control and Canada’s falling homicide rates; a position that – as noted by CTV News – has been criticised because Dr Langmann ‘has had a history of advocacy against the (gun) registry.’

Readers might also like to know that, in his attack on my article ‘Canada Has A Gun Problem – And Here’s Why’ (April 16), Dr Langmann quotes from the study: ‘Does Firearm Legislation Affect Firearm-Related Injuries?’

The trouble is, Dr Langmann has himself publicly criticised this study. As he wrote to ‘Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership’: the ‘Canadian study cannot [be used as it was to] examine for laws such as licensing and registration of firearms since these were implemented in 2001 and 2003, [and the] study only examines up to year 2004.’

Perhaps Dr Langmann might better read: ‘Suicide rates in Canada before and after tightening firearm control laws’. This showed ‘a significant decreasing trend after passage of Bill C-51 on the firearm suicide rate in Canada and the percentage of suicides using firearms. The analysis supports the position that restricting easy access to lethal methods of suicide may assist in reducing suicide.’

My deeper worry is that Dr Langmann’s own love of firearms is blinding him to the terrible fact that having a gun in your home has repeatedly been shown to increase your suicide risk. He might like to do some basic PubMed searches if he is to serve his patients to the best of his abilities.